It was hotter than hell, and loud enough to wake the dead. Black Sabbath were back in Birmingham, rolling back the years for 2,000 ecstatic fans. Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler took the sweaty 02 Academy by storm, crunching through their back catalogue.

“Come on, you f***ers!” yelled Ozzy, and the band kicked off with Into The Void from their 1971 album Master Of Reality. Under The Sun and Snowblind followed before telltale sirens ushered in War Pigs, the gig’s first big moment. Next up was Wheels Of Confusion, which Ozzy ripped apart with his trademark vocal. Iron Man, a revisit of fan favourite Dirty Women – rarely played since the Technical Ecstasy album – and Children Of The Grave brought the house down.

The Killers were on the rampage entertaining fans during their Halloween extravaganza at the LG Arena. An eerie calm settled over the crowd as the Las Vegas band delivered a flurry of new material. However, as the band launch into Runaways, with the stage bathed in blood red light, the arena erupted. That paved the way for a scintillating crescendo, with a compelling combination of Mr Brightside and When You Were Young. The encore revisited some of the band’s early highs, kicking off with Smile Like You Mean It, followed by the epic gospel rock of All These Things That I’ve Done.

Muse wowed the crowd with their sell-out anthem-filled stage show which featured lasers, lights, jets of smoke and even a pyramid. They delivered yet another anthem-filled show in Birmingham with a spectacular five-star performance. The lucky few who managed to grab a ticket to see the Teignmouth trio were treated to the exhaustive back-catalogue. Matt Bellamy whipped the crowd into a frenzy and the energy transferred to the floor where the Second City crowd jumped, head-banged and air guitared through Time Is Running Out, Plug In Baby, Stockholm Syndrome and Supermassive Black Hole.

Birmingham waited nearly 30 years for Madonna to grace the Second City with her presence. And finally when she did, thousands of fans gave her a regal welcome as her Madgesty took to the stage at the Birmingham’s NIA for her MDNA tour. Despite a 45-minute wait, from the moment she stepped on stage, pistol pointed at the crowd, Madonna was ready to shock. Her look was less Material Girl, more Bond villain, with backcombed locks and skin-tight trousers as she play-fought with a gaggle of gun-totting dancers. Though her vocals may had left a little to be desired at some points, the pure theatre of her performance was enough to sustain the 11,000 strong audience.

Pop icon George Michael rewarded the faithful last night when he returned to the stage for his first full UK show since a near-fatal illness. Dressed in a purple suit, black shirt and trademark dark glasses, George proudly announced “Birmingham, I’m back!” And didn’t he just. The crowd were repeatedly on their feet, prompting the star to say “you keep standing up, I love you”. A fit and tanned George resumed his Symphonica tour in spectacular style at the LG Arena, taking an adoring audience on a classically-tinged tour of his greatest hits and excelling with an eclectic mix of covers.

The early - for Axl Rose - start caught out many of the crowd who were out stocking up on beer and hot dogs ready for the anticipated long wait. The opening chords of Chinese Democracy brought back memories of the gig at the LG 18 months before which started exactly the same way, and the band were off. In fact, they were off at a canter, racing through the first six tracks end to end. It was generally the old classics which got the crowd going, with November Rain, Don’t Cry and Civil War getting everyone punching the air. And with the traditional climax of Paradise City the happy crowd was off into the night at 1.30am.

Elbow focus on melodic anthemic choruses and repeatedly engage the NIA crowd in mass singalongs - at one point they even invite a young girl from the audience up on stage. But they do quietly epic better, as they showed on the beautifully soulful Fugitive Motel, Mirrorball and a touching Build A Rocket, Boys!. And the inevitable singalong finale, One Day Like This, left such a warm feeling that - even on a freezing November night - the crowd could have walked home in their shirt sleeves.

Thousands of screaming fans nearly raised the roof off the NIA as the One Direction tour rolled into Birmingham. Just one year after graduating from the X Factor fame academy, and the boyband are already giving the Beatles a run for their money in the hysteria stakes. Top three hit You Gotta Be proved to be a big crowd pleaser while number one hit What Makes You Beautiful predictably got the loudest squeals of night. It may not have had the on-stage pyrotechnics of more established acts, but it was pure, unadulterated pop.

Cheryl Cole’s army of fans were out in force for the Girls Aloud singer’s solo tour date in Birmingham. Thousands of fans packed into the city’s LG Arena for a slice of pop perfection served up by the pint-sized star. Cheryl’s solo offerings on the Million Lights tour were bolstered by a medley of Girls Aloud hits, which gave a teaser of the girl group’s long awaited reunion. Though she’ll never trouble the likes of Beyonce or Adele in the vocal stakes, ballad Parachutes was heartfelt and melodic and closer Fight for This Love was worthy of any X Factor finale.

10. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK AND BACKSTREET BOYS AT THE LG ARENA April 27

New Kids on the Block joined forces with another huge band of the 90s - Backstreet Boys to form supergroup NKOTBSB. As the nine members took to the stage - at Birmingham’s LG Arena - the crowd of mainly females in their 30s, took a trip down memory lane. Surprisingly the night started with a version of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, before each group performed a series of their own huge hits. The night ended in an epic Glee style mash-up. Backstreet’s Back and Hanging Tough in an on-stage battle with the guys dressed in tracksuit tops emblazoned with England and caps, Joey wearing his to the side he always did.